Nestwacht

NestWatch uses smart birdhouses to research how the city affects the development of young birds.

The NestWacht (Nest Watch) is a collaboration between TU Delft Science Centre, Citizen Science Lab and Naturalis Biodiversity Centre to engage individuals, families and pimary schools in Leiden and Delft with nature in their city, and scientific research on the impact of climate change and local climate on nature and specifically on the nesting and breeding behavior of (garden) birds. We tie in with Leiden European City of Science 2022 with this project.

​The project is based on citizen science, a participatory form of scientific research in which various social groups are directly and practically involved in answering scientific questions. The 30 nest boxes and thus the data collection are managed by primary school classes (groups 7/8) and local residents in Delft and Leiden. Together they form the Nestwacht! Through joint research, workshops and a teaching package we bring schoolchildren, residents and (urban) nature closer together.